15 Whitehall office
By Akira Matsutani, Director-General, Japan Local Government Centre (CLAIR), London
I attended the MJ Future Forum Midlands this mid-September. The main focus was the UK’s ongoing process of devolution, but the two-day programme also covered timely issues such as how councils should respond to AI and what good leadership looks like for senior local government officers. The discussions were lively and thought-provoking, and the time flew by.
What impressed me most was the positive outlook of senior UK local government practitioners towards structural reforms—such as creating Strategic Authorities or moving from two-tier to unitary systems. Instead of focusing on disruption this could cause, many saw these reforms as opportunities: either to improve services for residents or to reflect on the core purpose of local government. For someone from Japan, this attitude feels both impressive and surprising. In Japan, debates about mergers or reorganisation almost always raise strong emotions about “losing” a municipality that residents feel attached to. Even when the benefits are clear, these psychological barriers are hard to overcome.
The contrast is striking. In the UK, local government practitioners must respect the mandate of elected governments and concentrate on making the most of policy changes. Dissatisfaction with national policy is seen as something to express at the ballot box, not by resisting in daily administration. In Japan, by contrast, local authorities sometimes openly challenge central government, and this can carry real political weight. When I first arrived in the UK two years ago, I thought councils avoided confronting the government when compared to Japanese counterparts; now I better understand the dynamic. I also see the strength of the UK’s approach: working collectively to deliver government policy.
That said, I still wonder whether UK policy makers fully consider the role of residents’ attachment to their councils. While people in the UK have strong ties to “place,” community boundaries can feel less defined. If reorganisation creates more stable council boundaries, and devolution helps councils make better use of their area’s unique character, then residents’ attachment to their councils could also grow stronger. This in turn might encourage higher voter turnout, more active community involvement, and greater investment aligned with council priorities.
From my experience in Japan, residents’ attachment to their councils can be a barrier to reform—but it can also be a powerful driver of local potential.
Translation: Keith Kelly
